EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Drivers who use I-195 between Providence and the Massachusetts line will need another route on the night of Nov. 6, when the state shuts the interstate in both directions to knock down East Providence’s Potter Street bridge.
The Rhode Island Department of Transportation plans to close the highway near the Taunton Avenue exit starting at 10 p.m. that Friday. Lanes will start narrowing around 9 p.m., and the state expects some lanes to reopen by 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, with everything back to normal around noon.
Interim RIDOT Director Robert Rocchio said traffic will be pushed off the interstate and onto local streets, mainly Warren Avenue and Broadway. Officers will direct traffic along the detour, side streets will be blocked and parking on Warren Avenue will be banned while the detour is in place. Temporary ramps will be kept open for emergency vehicles.
The demolition clears space to widen the highway ahead of the new westbound Washington Bridge. The state plans to rebuild the Potter Street crossing over the next 12 to 18 months, and the finished corridor will add an extra lane feeding a new exit ramp to Waterfront Drive. State planners say the extra room should ease the westbound backups that have long stretched toward the Massachusetts state line.
The new westbound Washington Bridge is on track to carry traffic in November 2028. Residents can ask questions at a session with RIDOT and city officials, set for 6 p.m. the evening before the closure at East Providence City Hall.
Section: More Providence RI crime news
Filed under: Providence RI Traffic News
